East Asia Econ

Korea – strong data in June

But output growth and capex were strong in June. Output was lifted by both goods and services, while the tech sector gave a boost to capex. Retail sales and construction orders were weak, but overall, the data signal a bit of upside risk for the next release of Q2 GDP data in September.

Paul Cavey

Jul 31, 2026 • 2 min read

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China – PMIs down again

The across-the-board weakening of the official PMIs will reinforce cycle pessimism, with px indicators point to an end of the recent upturn in PPI inflation. The likelihood of renewed monetary easing is growing, but detailed data – and the Politburo statement – suggest only incremental change.

Public Post

Region – new chart packs

I am trying out a new version of my interactive chart packs that makes navigation between economies and issues easier. It has almost 1,000 charts, and isn't yet behind a paywall. Please forward to anyone who might find it useful.

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East Asia Today

A few data releases today. In Japan, export data for the first 10 days of July, consumer confidence for the full month, and Toyota June sales. In Korea, the big release was business confidence, but also JOLTS labour market data for June, and wages for May.